New Pat-Downs and Body Scans At Airport: Tips on How to Deal with Them

Tennessee residents as well as many people across the country have heard about a variety of concerns over the new body scan and pat down procedures enforced by the Transportation Security Agency or TSA to keep a closer eye on security when traveling and to keep air travel safer for everyone. There have been reports about revealing body scans, and invasive measures and even the White House has expressed concern over the new measures being taken. Here are some tips on how to better deal with these new measures so that everyone can feel safer and secure when they travel. If you still have concerns or feel that your rights have been violated due to these new procedures, you should talk to a Tennessee crime lawyer right away. They will hear your case and make sure you get the compensation you deserve.

• Try to avoid overreacting as much as possible Most travelers will not even experience any difference in their airport security because it is not at every airport and the new measures are given randomly. The only difference is a new level of detectors known as advanced imaging technology scanners that will be in place at some airports to check a small amount of passengers. This could be anywhere from ten to twenty percent of travelers. If you are asked to step over to a scanner, you will empty your pockets and step into a scanner that uses advanced technology to detect whether or not the traveler may be hiding anything in their clothes. Concerns have been created because these images are similar to a naked body and people think that security guards are choosing attractive people and looking at the images inappropriately. However, this is not likely because the scans are random and looked at by someone other than airport security who cannot see the traveler. The images can also not be printed, copied, or tampered with in anyway.

• Understand what opting out may mean Any traveler who does not want a body scan can ask for a pat down instead but should know that they can expect delays, and some uncomfortable touching. The pat-downs are performed by a person of the same gender and take place outside of the clothing, however, these pat-downs may include touching under under garments as well as under folds of fat in search of a possible bomb. Procedures for children however will be less uncomfortable) These pat downs will happen in front of other travelers and may take two to four minutes to complete.

• Ask to speak to a supervisor if you are uncomfortable If you are having a problem during a pat-down, ask to speak to a supervisor or someone else in charge. However, know that if you refuse the pat-down, the law may not be not work in your favor. Local police can kick you out of the airport and the government can give you a fine for refusing security measures. A supervisor can speak with you about your concerns but you will still be expected to go through some kind of security measure.
• Leave extra time Holiday travel is busy enough but if you add in body scanner protests this can make things even slower. So make sure to allow yourself plenty of time.

• Ask for help if you need it Airport staff will be aware of the security checkpoints that may be the fastest as well as the ones that may be the slowest. People with special needs should expect pat-downs and ask for help when needed. This will help everyone get where they need to be with less problems.